British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to take decisive action to secure the release of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, who is currently imprisoned in Egypt.
Speaking on Sunday, Starmer assured that he would do everything in his power to bring Fattah home and reunite him with his family.
Fattah, a prominent pro-democracy campaigner, was arrested in September 2019 and later sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly spreading false information about torture in Egyptian prisons through a Facebook post.
His case has drawn international concern, particularly as his mother, Laila Soueif, has been on hunger strike for 140 days in protest.
Following a recent meeting with Soueif, Starmer reaffirmed his commitment to the cause, stating that the UK government would continue to raise Fattah’s case at the highest levels with Egyptian officials and push for his release.
The 43-year-old activist played a significant role in Egypt’s 2011 revolution, which led to the removal of long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak.
He was granted British citizenship in 2022 through his UK-born mother, adding further urgency to the British government’s involvement in his case.
Meanwhile, Soueif, 68, has been surviving solely on tea, coffee, and rehydration sachets since late September.
She has also been staging daily protests outside Downing Street, demanding stronger action from Starmer.
In an interview last week, she urged the Prime Minister to act swiftly, warning that time was running out for her son.
